Dirty Projectors
About To Die EP
Domino Records [2012]
Fire Note Says: About To Die serves as a nice coda to the Swing Lo Magellan lp and puts a nice bow on the year for their fans.
Album Review: By all accounts there were close to 40 songs worked on during sessions for this year’s excellent Dirty Projectors lp, Swing Lo Magellan. This ep serves as the single for “About To Die”, one of the standouts from that lp, as well as 3 songs from the same sessions, and as a bonus, also includes both tracks from their exclusive tour only 7”.
The title track is classic Dirty Projectors. It is built on a wild percussion track, and features a simple guitar, horns and strings. David Longstreth’s vocals are as always unique and breathtaking. He possesses one of the most dynamic voices in the indie world, but he isn’t showing off with his dynamic range, here it suits the song perfectly. “While You’re Here” is a beautiful tribute to deceased TV On The Radio member Gerard Smith. It’s Longstreth’s voice accompanied only by strings. It definitely tugs at the heartstrings and is a touching tribute to a departed friend. “Simple Request” is built upon live drums and a strummed guitar, not your typical Dirty Projectors ornate arrangement to be sure, but it’s highly effective, it sounds more like a “band’ song and less of a studio creation, and is a nice closer to the ep.
The tour only single is a different beast entirely. The a side, “Buckle Up” is a prickly lo-fi guitar rave up that shows a side of the band that we don’t often see. This sounds like a band who would cover a whole Black Flag lp straight up and not reimage it to fit their own style, as Dirty Projectors famously (or infamously) did with their 2007 Rise Above lp. The b side, “Desire to Love” is a gently rocking tune that wouldn’t have felt out of place on the first Paul McCartney solo lp. All in all this is a pretty good ep, it is essential if you are a fan of the band, and but necessarily the best place to start if you are a beginner.
Key Tracks: “About to Die”, “While You’re Here”, “Buckle Up”
Artists With Similar Fire: Flaming Lips / Animal Collective / St. Vincent
Dirty Projectors Website
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Domino Records
-Reviewed by Kevin Poindexter
Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, I am extremely proud of the area I grew up in and the influence it has had on the world at large, from the Wright Brothers to Robert Pollard, the area has been a center of innovation both technologically and artistically. During my college years at the University of Dayton, I found myself becoming more and more immersed in the local music scene, a period of time in the early to mid 90's that coincided with the rise of bands like Guided by Voices, Brainiac, and The Breeders, who added to the rich musical legacy of the area. Dayton is also the hometown of many giants of funk in the 70's and is also the birthplace of Jazz greats Billy Strayhorn, John Scofield and Bud Shank. I wrote extensively for The Fire Note, a great online magazine focused on indie rock, in the 2010's while simultaneously being a partner in Rockathon Records, before retiring from both in 2018. In 2024, my thoughts turned back to helping at Rockathon and more importantly to pick back up on my writing, and more specifically to write about my love of jazz. I'm always listening, always searching for something new, something great. It's been a lifelong journey, and I still feel like there is so much out there to hear.
- Kevin Poindexterhttps://thefirenote.com/author/kpoindexter/
- Kevin Poindexterhttps://thefirenote.com/author/kpoindexter/
- Kevin Poindexterhttps://thefirenote.com/author/kpoindexter/
- Kevin Poindexterhttps://thefirenote.com/author/kpoindexter/
